Engine overheating?

Good morning,

This is acting as a thermostat. I would start there.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-thermostat

Make sure the coolant level is good as well.

Roy

Thank you, I got my replacement thermostat (within 12 months) installed. And it seems to have fixed the issue. Will check back in with further question if problem starts back up. Thanks!

You are welcome.

Always glad to help.

Roy

Last summer engine overheated due to leak in system. Subsequently, leak(s)repaired. I have no further details except I had to take it back as it was leaking coolant onto the passenger floorboard so the mechanic did something to disable the heater to work.

A year later, car running hot at times. Noticed overflow tank low so would add antifreeze to “full” line periodically.

Car overheated in spite of full overfill tank. Mechanic checked that the fan runs and hoses feel cold so mechanic put in new thermostat. Ran normally for 5 days. I would check antifreeze levels when car is cold in the AM directly by removing radiator cap as a preventative. Then two days in a row it was overheating just on the return trip. Drive residential and highway (10 miles each way ) to town. Car was then parked for an hour or so but overheated on the same drive home. Yesterday, I checked the radiator coolant and it was low when I removed the cap so I added coolant directly here. All it did was fill up the overfill tank. It was slow to fill with a lot of air bubbles. Is that normal or indicative of a problem? I drove to and from town without issue. I ordered an ECT just in case. Any ideas? I’m taking the car to a different mechanic today. Thank you!

Welcome to 2CarPros.

If you see bubbles in the cooling system with the engine running, that can indicate a bad head gasket. Here is a link that explains how to check for a bad head gasket. It talks about bubbles in the system. Take a look through it and let me know if that is what you saw.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Let me know.

Joe

My vehicle is overheating while I am sitting in traffic. Once I shift it out of drive and into neutral the temperature starts going down. What do I do?

When no overheating occurs at higher speeds where natural air flow is sufficient, suspect the radiator fan is not turning on. That is only needed at low speeds.

Overheating a few days in a row. went to see maybe if it needed water, went to open cap there was rust on cap and inside radiator. it’s brand new replaced half a year ago and lower hose and new also.

Good morning,

If you mean the radiator has been replaced a year ago, the rust from the block has contaminated the new radiator.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/coolant-flush-and-refill-all-cars

What you need to do is go to a radiator shop and have them acid flush the cooling system completely to get all the rust out of the system. The rust in the block will not come out with a normal flush. This type of flush is pressurized and done with the thermostat removed.

Roy

Overheats after thirty minutes. Changed thermostat and still overheats. Had in the shop they couldn't find nothing wrong with it. The fan kicks on high when gauge is only halfway mark. Any help would be appreciated.

Welcome to 2CarPros.

Has the radiator and engine been flushed? Also, has anyone checked for a head gasket issue. Here are a couple links you may find helpful. Let me know if these things have already been done. Also, let me know if the check engine light is staying on when the engine is running and if anything other than a thermostat was done.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/coolant-flush-and-refill-all-cars

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Let me know.

Joe

Replaced cap and thermostat. Nothing has been flushed. Had it about four years.

Welcome back:

What I would suggest is to check to make sure there are no head gasket issues. If none are found, the next step would be to flush the system.

Let me know if I can help.

Joe

Okay, thank you.

Welcome back:

You are very welcome. Let me know what you find. Also, and this may sound crazy, but make sure the lower hose isn't collapsing when it is overheating. I've see hoses without the inner support do that and cause an overheat.

Take care,
Joe

i put a new thermostat in my jeep grand che, and the only time it heats up is when it is idling. once you start driving the heat is not there anymore

Make sure the coolant is full. Also, check the blend door to make sure it is staying in the correct position. It may close the heat off when you are off idle. Do this. Drive the vehicle until the engine is hot and you lose heat. Once you lose heat, open the hood and check both heater core hoses. Both should be hot. IF they are, it is related to the blend door. If only one is hot, try flushing the heater core.

This is my son's vehicle, and I am not where it is.
Driving at highway speed, engine started heating up suddenly, and lost all heat to interior. Pulled over, let it cool off some, then drove a few more miles to destination, it heated up again.
Top rad hose hot and under pressure. Lower rad hose cold. Both heater hoses cool to touch. Rad cap not hot while engine running, but heats up when it sits with engine off for a few minutes.
Installed new thermo and gasket, but made no difference.
Removed heater hose off rad housing, and with the engine running, there is pressure there. Time restraints didn't allow him to try and remove other heater (return) hose to see if it was coming through there, but I doubt it as there is no heat in the cabin. (This may be a separate issue?)
Thinking about removing lower rad hose to see if there is good flow through rad, but as above, time constraints.
He is at work today, so I am trying to find something out, that will help him solve this.

Since the heat loss and the overheating started at the same time, I would think they are related. Is the coolant level full? Has he ever flushed the heater core as well as the radiator?

No flushes, to my knowledge, but this seems a little too sudden to be a problem with plugging...so solidly, doesn't it?

He told me later that he had an earlier issue with the heat controller that is behind the glove box on this vehicle, s I am leaning toward there being a simultaneous malfunction/failure there.

Also, wondering if (worst case scenario) could this be pointing at a blown head gasket or intake manifold gasket? I understand that there is a test for this? A dye of some sort that reacts in the coolant?

Worst case would be the head gasket. However, usually it will cause a loss of coolant. As far as the heat, has he checked to see if the blend air door is working?

So this summer i went to charge air conditioner and it started smoking. the air conditioner went bad had it replaced. the air conditioner works fine but all the sudden it started acting like something was keeping me from being able to accelerate to where eventually i couldn't get the car to drive over 25 mph. i got it home i replaced the fuse to the fan because it blew and then we replaced the both relays and tested the fan with battery and it ran, but when i plug the fan back into the car it wont kick on and the car at first will drive normal when it's cool but as the car heats up it begins to do this thing where it wont let you accelerate it over 25 mph no matter how hard you push on the gas pedal and eventually it starts to overheat, but notice the gauge never gets very far over half way mark until the vehicle is shuts off. which then after 30 seconds if you turn the key it will then show you that the needle is way over the half way mark as if it read it was overheating when driving but not as bad until you completely shut car off. what do i do next ?

Hi,

When you turn the engine off, coolant flow stops. It isn't odd for the temperature gauge to increase shortly after turning it off.

As far as the speed issue, does it only happen when the A/C is turned on? Has the check engine light stayed on when driving? Is the A/C working properly? Where did smoke come from when you charge the A/C and what was replaced?

Joe

I think because the air-conditioner hadn't ran all year and because it has a small leak usually by the time winter rolls around i have to give it a full charge, but i'm not for sure because my dad was the one charging it and i was inside the car too see if the air was getting cooler but before we could barely get 1 can in it is when i saw smoke. so we took it to a guy and had it replaced, but what's crazy was that before we put it in there the car ran perfectly fine it just didn't have A/C and then once i got the funds to have someone replace it the guy replaced it and it works perfectly fine, but then that's when it started doing the weird thing where it drives fine at first until it starts to heat up and when it gets to the normal temperature it starts making the car where i can't accelerate like normal and can't get over 25 mph. as if the system is reading some sort of issue and it just wont hardly accelerate. there are no check lights on the dash board at all so i don't know what else to do because we replaced the relay switches and replaced the blown fuse because it blew a fuse after they put the air conditioner, but it hasn't blown since and then there is an electric plug and the part that plugs into it the male fitting when you pull it out there's a nut you have to take off and i realized it's also a plug to keep the water from coming out. but none of those things have fixed it, but its for sure that the fan is not kicking on. which is why i think it's not letting me accelerate once it gets up to normal running temperature. We checked both sides with wires and a battery and 12v it ran fine. could it be thermostat or wiring or a switch?

Okay, check the fuses in the picture I attached and circled. Next, inspect the fan relays also in the pictures.

Here is a link that shows how to check a relay:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-an-electrical-relay-and-wiring-control-circuit

The more I read what you are experiencing, the more it sounds like it is running in what is called limp mode. Basically, it runs enough for you to get to a safe location.

Let me know what you find.

Joe